Indian Village

38 min read

Best Places to Visit & Things To Do in Dhunkapada, Polasara, Odisha [Updated-2026]

Travelo Info

April 2, 2026

Best Places to Visit & Things To Do in Dhunkapada, Polasara, Odisha [Updated-2026]

………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Dhunkapada is a large village that serves as the headquarters of the Dhumkapada Gram Panchayat. It is located in the Polasara block of Ganjam district, Odisha .

Here is a detailed overview of the village and the panchayat it administers.

📌 Overview & Quick Facts

Feature	Details
Village Name	Dhunkapada
Gram Panchayat	Dhumkapada (the village governs itself)
Block / Tehsil	Polasara / Polosara
District	Ganjam, Odisha
Pin Code	761118
Total Population (2011 Census)	3,866 people
Total Households (2011)	863
Geographical Area	902 hectares
Nearest Town	Buguda, approximately 8 km away

📋 Administration & Location

Administrative Role: Dhunkapada is a Gram Panchayat that administers a total of 4 villages. The panchayat is divided into 16 wards and has 16 elected members .
Key Officials: The current Sarpanch of Dhumkapada Gram Panchayat is Kuni Jena, and the Secretary is Aditya Kumar Nayak .
Block & District Administration: The panchayat works under the Polasara Community Development Block .
Political Representation: The village falls under the Polasara Vidhan Sabha (Assembly) constituency and the Aska Lok Sabha (Parliamentary) constituency .
Location Details: Dhunkapada is situated approximately 75 km from the district headquarters at Chhatrapur. The nearest town, Buguda, is only 8 km away .

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Population & Demographics (2011 Census)

Dhunkapada has a total population of 3,866, with a higher female population and a literacy rate of 57.2% . The detailed demographics are as follows:

Particulars	Total	Male	Female
Total Population	3,866	1,929	1,937
Female Population %	–	49.9%	50.1%
Child Population (0-6 yrs)	458	255	203
Scheduled Castes (SC)	802 (20.7%)	393	409
Scheduled Tribes (ST)	7 (0.2%)	3	4
Literacy Rate	57.2%	62.7%	51.8%
Literate Population	2,212	1,209	1,003
Illiterate Population	1,654	720	934
Working Population %	42.6%	–	–

The village has a slightly higher female population (1,937 females vs. 1,929 males). The Scheduled Caste (SC) population forms a significant portion at 20.7% of the total population, while Scheduled Tribes (ST) constitute only 0.2% . The female literacy rate (51.8%) is lower than the male literacy rate (62.7%), indicating a notable gender gap in education .

Languages Spoken: Oriya is the local language, along with Hindi and Telugu due to the region’s proximity to the Andhra Pradesh border.

🏫 Infrastructure & Amenities

Dhunkapada has several educational and basic infrastructure facilities available within the village, though many advanced services are located in nearby towns.

Educational Facilities

Dhunkapada Gram Panchayat has a total of 6 schools under its jurisdiction . Key schools in Dhunkapada village include:

School Name	Management	Grades	Teachers	Students (Boys/Girls)
Sri Sri Gupteswar Nodal Bidyapitha	Department of Education	1 to 10	15	218 / 194
Dhunkapada P.S.	Department of Education	1 to 5	6	47 / 46
Raghunath Mandir Sahi Pro. P.S	Department of Education	1 to 5	3	36 / 34
Ramakrushna Nagar PPS	Department of Education	1 to 5	2	16 / 8

Sri Sri Gupteswar Bidyapitha is a notable private school established in 1982, offering classes up to 10th standard . The village has 4 government primary schools, 1 government middle school, and 1 government secondary school .

Higher Education: Nearest pre-primary school is available within the village, while senior secondary school is in Bartini (5-10 km away). Government arts and science degree college is in Aska (more than 10 km away). Engineering, medical, and management colleges are in Berhampur and Brahmapur (more than 10 km away) .

Healthcare Facilities

Facility Type	Availability	Details
Primary Health Sub-Centre	✅ Available	1 sub-centre with 0 doctors and 2 paramedical staff
Veterinary Hospital	✅ Available	1 doctor and 1 paramedical staff in the village
Dispensary	✅ Available	Less than 5 km away
Medical Shops	✅ Available	3 medical shops available
Faith Healers	✅ Available	3 faith healers available
Primary Health Centre (PHC)	⚠️ Limited	Available 5-10 km away
Community Health Centre (CHC)	❌ Not Available	More than 10 km away
Allopathic Hospital	❌ Not Available	More than 10 km away

Banking & Communication

Service Type	Availability	Details
Post Office	✅ Available	Available in the village
Landline & Mobile	✅ Available	Available
Internet Centre	⚠️ Limited	Available within 5-10 km
Private Courier	✅ Available	Available in the village
Bank / ATM	❌ Not Available	Not available in the village

Transportation

Facility Type	Availability	Details
Public Bus Service	⚠️ Limited	Available within 5-10 km distance
Private Bus Service	✅ Available	Available within the village
Railway Station	❌ Not Available	Nearest station more than 10 km away
Autos / Tractors	✅ Available	Available in the village
Cycle Rickshaws	✅ Available	Man-pulled rickshaws available
Animal Driven Carts	✅ Available	Available
District Road	✅ Available	Passes through the village

Drinking Water & Sanitation

Facility Type	Availability
Treated Tap Water	✅ Available (all year round, including summer)
Well	✅ Available
Hand Pump	✅ Available
Tank	✅ Available
Tubewell/Boreholes	❌ Not Available
Garbage Collection System	❌ Not Available
Drainage System	Open Drainage System (discharged into water bodies)
Total Sanitation	✅ Village covered under Total Sanitation
All Households Electrified	❌ No

🌾 Agriculture & Economy

Agriculture is the main occupation in Dhunkapada. Key agricultural details include:

Main Crops: Paddy, Vegetables, and Sugarcane
Total Agricultural Area: 453.96 hectares
Total Irrigated Area: 182.55 hectares (irrigated by canals)
Un-irrigated Area: 271.41 hectares
Non-Agricultural Area: 303.68 hectares
Permanent Pastures/Grazing Lands: 56.42 hectares
Fallow Land: 84.14 hectares
Forest Area: 3.8 hectares
Agricultural Power Supply: 18 hours in summer, 20 hours in winter

📈 Development & Government Schemes

Dhunkapada has an active record of development work under various government schemes, including the Mission Antyodaya program.

Mission Antyodaya Scores

The village has been assessed under the Mission Antyodaya program, which measures village development across multiple parameters. The scores are as follows :

Year	Dhunkapada Score
2018	49.5
2019	51.0

Scores for other villages under Dhumkapada Gram Panchayat (2019) :

Baudiapalli: 33.5
Kaniapalli: 33.0
Paikarapalli: 0

Note: With a score of 51.0 in 2019, Dhunkapada has the highest development score among all 4 villages in its panchayat, indicating it is the most developed in terms of infrastructure and service delivery .

Government Employees

Dhunkapada Gram Panchayat has 25 full-time government employees working in various departments including Revenue, Panchayati Raj, Education, Health & Family Welfare, Women & Child Development, Animal Husbandry, Drinking Water, Soil Conservation, Fisheries, Food & Supply, and Horticulture .

🗺️ Villages under Dhumkapada Gram Panchayat

The Dhumkapada Gram Panchayat administers a total of 4 villages. Based on Mission Antyodaya records, these include :

Village Name	Mission Antyodaya Score (2019)
Dhunkapada (main village)	51.0
Baudiapalli	33.5
Kaniapalli	33.0
Paikarapalli	0

📈 Population Growth

The population of Dhunkapada has shown steady growth between the 2001 and 2011 censuses :

Census Year	Population
2001	3,401
2011	3,866
Growth (2001-2011)	+465 (+13.7%)

🎉 Culture & Politics

Major Political Party: BJD is the major political party in this area.
Assembly Constituency: Polasara
Parliament Constituency: Aska
Nearest Town: Buguda (8 km away)

Nearby Temples: As per local information, the village has several temples including local deity temples, though specific names are not documented in available sources.

📝 Summary

Dhunkapada is a large village that serves as an important Gram Panchayat headquarters in the Polasara block of Ganjam district. With a population of 3,866 and 863 households, it is one of the larger villages in the area. Key features include:

Demographics: Slightly higher female population (50.1%), SC population at 20.7%, ST population at 0.2%, literacy rate of 57.2% with a gender gap (male 62.7% vs. female 51.8%)
Education: 6 schools in the panchayat including a Nodal School with classes up to 10th standard (Sri Sri Gupteswar Nodal Bidyapitha), 4 government primary schools; higher education available in Aska, Berhampur, and Brahmapur (more than 10 km away)
Healthcare: Primary Health Sub-Centre, Veterinary Hospital, and 3 medical shops available within the village; advanced healthcare in Buguda (8 km away) and Polasara
Economy: Agriculture-based with paddy, vegetables, and sugarcane as main crops; 182.55 hectares irrigated by canals; 271.41 hectares un-irrigated
Connectivity: Private bus services available within the village; public bus service within 5-10 km; nearest railway station more than 10 km away; district road passes through the village
Development: Highest Mission Antyodaya score (51.0 in 2019) among all 4 villages in the panchayat, with 25 full-time government employees serving the panchayat

The village faces challenges with lower female literacy, incomplete household electrification, no banking/ATM services within the village, limited public transport connectivity (5-10 km away), no railway connectivity, and open drainage system with no garbage collection. However, treated tap water is available year-round, and the village has good educational infrastructure including a secondary school up to 10th standard. The village is well-connected by road to the nearby town of Buguda (8 km away) for major economic and educational activities.